The Celtic Fans Collective has demanded that Dermot Desmond attends the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to answer questions on how the club is being run on his watch.
The Irish billionaire, the club’s largest single shareholder, has been absent from the shareholder meeting for the past 20 years, latterly deploying his son, Ross, to attend as his representative.
Tensions between the fan base and the board – and Desmond in particular – have escalated across the past two years, primarily as a consequence of growing concern over the way the club is operating off the field and the team’s regression in Europe.
Last month, the feud took a new twist when masked supporters, who were part of the Collective, threw tennis balls at Desmond as he participated in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
That resulted in the club releasing a strongly worded statement criticising the incident and ceasing all engagement with the group.
However, the umbrella body, which represents 168 supporters’ organisations, feels it’s incumbent on Desmond to break with tradition by turning up in person at this year’s annual meeting – the date of which has yet to be announced.
Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond has been absent from Celtic’s AGM for the past 20 years
Supporters want to question Celtic’s largest single shareholder about how the club is run
It said in a statement: ‘For 20 years, Dermot Desmond has not attended Celtic’s Annual General Meeting, despite wielding considerable influence over the direction and decision-making of our club.
‘Although only a minority shareholder, Desmond appears to exercise influence far beyond his shareholding. With that influence comes a responsibility to be accountable.
‘We call on Dermot Desmond to publicly commit to attending the 2026 AGM in person and answer questions about his role in the running of Celtic Football Club.
‘Sending his son, another representative or a prepared statement in his place is no substitute for attending personally.’
The statement went on to reference the chaotic scenes at last year’s meeting which ended with then chairman Peter Lawwell cutting the meeting short after protesters brandishing red cards shouted down directors.
Ross Desmond had previously read out a statement on his father’s behalf in which he hit out at the ‘destructive and cynical’ criticism of club executives and branded some fans ‘bullies’.
Desmond is escorted off after tennis balls were flung at him in the Dunhill Links Championship
‘The decision by Peter Lawwell to prematurely conclude last year’s AGM left a clear impression among supporters that the board had taken an opportunity to avoid scrutiny,’ it added.
‘Responsibility for how that meeting was conducted and ultimately concluded rests entirely with the board.
‘This year, however, the focus must be firmly on scrutiny rather than protest. There is a clear understanding across the support that the AGM must provide the opportunity for important questions to be put directly to those running the club, without allowing scrutiny to be evaded once again.
‘Celtic supporters have repeatedly sought meaningful dialogue and a more constructive relationship with the club.
‘At a time when fans want to see decisive leadership, a public commitment from Dermot Desmond to attend the AGM in good faith would be an important demonstration of his willingness to engage directly with supporters and shareholders.’
The date of last year’s meeting was confirmed on October 28. Shareholders must be given 21 days’ notice of this year’s event.
